Grained wood and method of graining same



Patented Nov. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PA ENT oF es GRAINED WOOD AND METHOD OF GRAINING SAME 1 Charles Joseph Fess, 'Maplewood, N.

No Drawing. iApplicationiMarch 4, 1931' Serial No. 520,158 a 2 Claims. (01. 41-41) This invention relates to the artificial graining of wood and has for its principal objects the simple, expeditious and economical reproduction upon various woods of an accurate and faithful simulation of the grain of another wood whereby the selected woodscan be profitably employed in the production of furniture, pianos, trim and cabinet work and all of the advantages possessed by another wood, the grain of which has been simulated, are obtained and, in addition thereto, the advantages possessed by the selected wood, such as its ability to resist warping, its low cost, the reduction in wastage caused in matching up the grain and the like are retained, while at the same time the disadvantages of a poor appearance, due either to the fact of the substantial absence of grain or the fact that the natural grain thereof is unattractive or undesirable, is avoided.

I am aware that it has been proposed to utilize, either in the graining of wood or metal, a negative comprising a natural wood panel whose grain corresponds to that of the wood, the grain of which it is desired to imitate, and also that it hasv been proposed to apply to a wood or metal panel to be grained and opaque coat containing a solid pigment or color corresponding tothe base or ground color desired in thefinished panel. However, no one so far, as I am aware, has been able to reproduce on a selected wood such a perfect and accurate simulation of the grain of another wood as is accomplished by the method hereinafter described.

In carrying out my invention, I preferably proceed as follows:-

The wood panel or wood article to be grained, such for example, as a panel of maple, is prepared as follows:--

1. The panel is first planed, scraped and smoothed to an even flat surface and is then stained with a soluble stain, such for example as an aniline color dissolved in water, alcohol or oil, which stain is of such a color that its effect after application to the'article is to make the latters general color tone match the base color of the wood which his intended to simulate. After such stained surface is dry, a thin coat of shellac or other generally used sealer is then applied to the stained surface in order not onlyv to enhance or intensify the appearance of the stain so applied but also, to produce after the sanding thereof, a level surface in order to insure perfect contact between the surface and the roller in the transfer process hereinafter described.

2. To prepare said graining plate, a panel of the natural wood,

whose grain. it is desired to simulate, isfirst planed, scraped and smoothed to an even flat surface;- The surface of the wood is then saturated with a 10% aqueous solution of borax heated to'about 100 C. While the'wood is still ,wet, it is brushed with a stiff bristle or fibre brush, the surface be ng scrubbed against the grain, and the bristles worked well into the pores. The surface is then rinsed thoroughly with water, allowed to dry and is finely sanded with sandpaper, whereupon a coat of pyroxylin lacquer is applied to such smooth sanded surface to seal the same and prevent penetration. of the graining ink into the pores.

3. After the lacquer coat has. dried, the said graining plate is first completely coated with a graining ink, the surplus ink is scraped off with a doctor blade in the well known manner andthen a soft elastic roller, known as a transfer roller, is then first rolled over such plate whereby the inked graining pattern thereon is transferred to the peripheral surface of the roller.

The graining'pattern picked up by the soft transfer roll istheniimmediately transferred in the well known manner tothe prepared surface of the wood tobe grained, the same being accomplished by a single pass of the roll over such surface, while applying to such roll sufiicient pressure to effect intimate contact between the engaging surfaces and to thereby obtain a substantially complete transfer of the ink from the grain portions of the plate to' the receptive surface I of the wood to be grained.

The employment of a soluble and transparent coloring medium in the stain applied to the surface to be grained is an essential feature of the preparation of the wood for the reception of the graining pattern. Not only does this transparent stain accomplish the substantial masking or cam ouflaging of the natural grain of such wood so selected, but at the same time I preserve, substantially unimpaired, the softness and brilliancy of depth of natural wood and the original tonal effect or light reflection and refraction from natural grain of the wood employed, such for example as maple, birch, plain sawed oak andthe like, selected for the graining operation and as a consequence, the ultimate effect obtained is, unlike that obtained heretofore, distinguished with diihculty from a finished surface of the natural wood which has been imitated.

While I prefer to apply athin coat of pyroxylin 2 of serves to offer permanent resistance topenetration of the graining required, such film does not obscure or clog the ink-receiving cells of the grainlng plate.

greater than 10% may be emtime of treatment would be varied lies.

The shellac or like sealing coat, which is applied to seal the surface of the woodselected to be grained, is sanded or otherwise treated after such coat has dried in order to remove the glossy appearance and afford a receptive surface that willinsure intimate union'with the graining ink subsequently applied thereto by means of the transfer roller. Preferably, also, the stain stain containing a waterout however, obscuring or losingthe natural tonal effector inimitable wood appearance'of depth and softness imparted thereby and upon this enhanced background to impose the more beautiful grain of the wood whose grain it is desired to imitate.

While I preferably employ the herein described wood spirit of my invention as herein set forth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to obtain by United States Letters Patent I is I', '1

port'ions of the wood specimen so treated;

' I CHARLESJQSEPH FESS.

of making a graining plate;-

fit 

